Of the many attributes I love about my house, my front porch tops the list. Covered and north-facing {which in Colorado means shaded and cool for the entire day minus the early morning} I can literally sit out there all day long — often I do. And often, my kids join me. My oldest two grab their books and my youngest grabs picture books, activity books and chalk for sidewalk art. We grab mini-bagels with cream cheese, fruit, and iced tea. I feel very Mayberry in these moments.
Here’s our front porch reads to start off the summer. Following our picks, my friend Tina, who is helping me create the Lit Kits, has written up her front porch picks as well.
First, books with my lovely {almost} teenaged girl: {I can’t believe it.}
- Rose in Bloom (sequel to Eight Cousins) by Louisa May Alcott — My daughter would have a hard time reading it on her own, but loves listening to it. We read Eight Cousins two years ago together and she fell in love with the Campbell clan as much as I did. I always appreciate when and author gives us the rest of the story. {Confession: we’ve been working on this book all year. It will be the first book we finish this summer!}
- My 12-year-old has been a reluctant reader, but she’ll listen to audio books all day long. She has grown so much and I’m so proud of her. She plans on reading/listening to the entire Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall, and re-visiting the Trixie Belden series {which was one of the first books that grabbed her attention and hooked her audio books}. I’m sure I’ll add to her stack also. Because that is what I do.
With my spunky 9-year-old girl:
- I’m finishing up the Sarah, Plain and Tall series by Patricia MacLachlan to read with my 9-year-old. Quick and sweet, we love this series and we’ll finish with Grandfather’s Dance. I try to give my youngest girl some one-on-one reading time with more than just picture books.
- Also on my docket to read to my youngest: The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye, Savvy by Ingrid Law, & The Two Princesses of Bamarre {audio} by Gail Carson Levine
- Because we are ambitious {and maybe unrealistic} Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan {a mix of read-aloud and audio books}. She has adored the first Percy Jackson book and it has been a great way to learn Greek mythology. I personally think that she is quite a bit like Percy: courageous, loyal, adventurous and a bit impulsive, but with a heart toward mercy and justice.
- Throughout the summer I will grab selections from Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time by Jamie C. Martin. We did the summer book club several summers ago and it was quite fun.
- Book 6 in the Mandie Collection by Lois Gladys Leppard — I’ll read this one to all of my kids together. We’ve read these faith-based historical mysteries over the last five years, most often when we lived in Eastern Tennessee (near where these stories are set).
My son who will soon get his learner’s permit: {Sheesh.}
- My 14-year-old son reads at the speed of light. He LOVED C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra & That Hideous Strength.
- He’s reading his way through classics: Oliver Twist, The Three Musketeers and Pride and Prejudice (which he read just for me) are finished and he’s now tackling Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula {reading them in published order}.
- I routinely drop a stack of books in his room ~ he’s able to read books my husband and I loved growing up and in our college years.
- He can’t get enough of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- He will most likely grab some “brain candy” reads {calling Harry Potter}. And we’ll listen to some as well {the audio books are so so good!}.
I am generally reading 10-20 books at a time. Whether this is efficient, I’m not sure, but I’ve always been this way. Here’s my partial list:
NON-FICTION:
- At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider — This book pulls at my heart and captures what I feel so often. I love my home, my space and I love adventure, especially adventuring with my people. These two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I’m reading this to my kids also.
- Between Heaven & the Real World: My Story by Steven Curtis Chapman (with Ken Abraham) — Steven Curtis Chapman has had a voice in my faith journey for over 25 years. I’m thankful for this man who I have never met, but has been a faithful steward of his gift. God used Steven’s songs to reach me, encourage me, and steady me in many seasons of my life.
- The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride — I have a multi-ethnic family and a dear friend said I MUST read this book. I bought it that day.
CLASSICS:
- The Penderwicks, Emily of New Moon series, & the Betsy Tacy series {which I need to read in order to finish the Mother-Daughter Book Club series}. There is a right way to do things, after all. These are all new reads to me. We will see how far I get!
- I am sure I will pick up at least one Jane Austen novel as well as Elizabeth Gaskell or a Bronte sisters pick. #anglophile
MISCELLANEOUS: on writing, devotionals etc.
- Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
- A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle
- Roots & Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons by Christie Purifoy
- The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms by Timothy Keller & Kathy Keller
I (Tina) always look forward to summer and some extra reading time with my kids.
- Swallowdale is the second book in Arthur Ransome’s series about the summer adventures of the Walker family. I was pleasantly surprised by how much my kids loved the first book as it is a slow read with a high vocabulary level (especially when referencing all things boating). When I got the second book for my birthday my kids were even more excited than I was and couldn’t wait to begin.
- Once we finish Swallowdale we will jump right into The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. We just finished the first book in the series, Over Sea, Under Stone, and both kids enjoyed the mystery and the high stakes battle between the light and the dark. My boy (7) especially enjoyed the connections to King Arthur as he’s become fascinated with knights and castles over the last year.
- My girl (12) and I read The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (1st in the Books of Bayern series) last summer and she has been begging me all year to read her the next in the series. So at some point this summer we’ll start Enna Burning. It’s been some time since I read this one but I remember it being the scariest of the series. I love the magical elements of this book but Enna definitely struggles with the temptation to use her magic to harm rather than help. It’s a book I definitely want us to read together so we can discuss some of the harsher elements of the book and the choices Enna makes.
- But first, we’ll finish up our current read: Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Every spring we read the next book in the series and I’ll be sad when we’ve finished. It’s been fun to watch my girl grow up with Laura and the Ingalls family and journey with them through the ups and downs of life on the prairie. We love these journeys back into the history of our country but they also make us appreciate our modern amenities in new ways.
- We are relistening to The Penderwicks in Spring for mother-daughter book club in June. My girl and I listened to the first several books as each one was published and are excited to introduce our little guy to them as well. Jeanne Birdsall just published the final book in the series, The Penderwicks at Last, and my girl is going to listen to them all again this summer.
- We all listened to The Saturdays, the first in Elizabeth Enright’s delightful Melendy Quartet of books and will work our way through the rest of the audiobooks this summer. My kids are 5 years apart but when we listen to or read stories about families, especially larger ones, there is always a character or two for each of my kids to connect with.
With the more relaxed pace of summer I’ll be looking forward to some extra reading time of my own as well.
- I’ve been reading Jennifer Nielsen’s Ascendance trilogy (YA) and will be starting the final book, The Shadow Throne, as soon as I pick it up from the library this week. I’ve enjoyed this fast paced series and know it is one my son will enjoy in his late tweens, early teen years. The main character is on the snarky side and takes crazy risks so I find myself simultaneously rooting for him and shaking my head at the crazy choices he makes along the way. A great read for boys.
- On my library holdshelf is Jacqueline Winspear’s latest installment in the Maisie Dobbs series: To Die But Once. I’ve really enjoyed this series over the years. Winspear does an amazing job of taking her readers right back into the WWI and WWII eras and giving us a sense of both the tragedy and beauty of life during those years. Maisie is one of my favorite sleuths and I appreciate having a mystery to read that makes me think but doesn’t creep me out.
- Other books on my to be read list for the summer are Katie Ganshert’s No One Ever Asked (adult fiction), S.D. Smith’s latest book in The Green Ember series, The Last Archer (Juvenile Fiction), and Son of the Shadows, the second book in Juliet Marillier’s Celtic inspired fairy tale series (Adult Fantasy).
Here’s to summer and to hours of front porch reading!
P.S. for more book picks follow on Instagram @literaturethreads
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